Impact of telomere length on autoimmune thyroid disease in Europeans: insights from Mendelian randomization

This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between Telomere Length (TL) and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD) in Europeans using Mendelian Randomization (MR).

Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with TL and AITD were obtained from genome-wide association studies. MR analysis was conducted using inverse variance weighted as the primary method. Cochran's Q test and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis were employed to assess heterogeneity and robustness, respectively.

TL was significantly associated with reduced genetic susceptibility to Graves' Disease (GD) in Europeans (Odds Ratio [OR = 0.776], 95 % Confidence Interval [95 %CI 0.625-0.964]; p = 0.022). However, no association was found between TL and Autoimmune Thyroiditis (AIT) (OR = 1.474, 95 % CI 0.870-2.497; p = 0.149). Cochran's Q test and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirmed that the findings were free of heterogeneity and robust.

MR analysis revealed that TL shortening is associated with increased genetic susceptibility to GD in Europeans, but no such association was observed for AIT. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms through which TL influences AITD.